North Carolina Tar Heels lacrosse finished a clean sweep of national titles over the Maryland Terrapins as the men’s team won 14-13 in overtime a day after the women’s 13-7 victory. It’s the men’s first title since 1991.
NCAA Lacrosse Championship 2016: North Carolina beats Maryland, 14-13, in overtime
North Carolina ends its 24-year championship drought, while Maryland suffers through its 41st year without a title.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sophomore Chris Cloutier lead the way for North Carolina, netting five goals including the game-winner just over two minutes into overtime. Luke Goldstock added four.
Maryland goalkeeper Kyle Bernlohr dove for an incredible overtime stop, his ninth of the game, but couldn’t stop a rip from Cloutier.
Game winning goal by Chris Cloutier wins it for UNC in OT on the extra man pic.twitter.com/iFQJrcY8Q8
— Lacrosse Film Room (@LaxFilmRoom) May 30, 2016
A late penalty with four seconds to go in regulation gave Maryland an extra man opportunity in the opening minute of overtime, which it couldn’t convert on, snapping the team’s 16-game winning streak and extending the Terrapins’ title drought to 41 years. The Terps have lost in the championship game in back-to-back years and four times in the past six seasons.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in their opening four possessions of the first quarter in what looked to be a dominating championship game effort. But the Terps matched the Tar Heels’ run with four unanswered goals of their own including a pair from junior Dylan Maltz.
The Terrapins’ leading scorer Matt Rambo scored two of his three goals before the half to give Maryland an 8-7 lead.
The second half saw three lead changes with no team having more than a two-goal advantage. Cloutier scored three goals in fewer than three minutes to bring the Heels to a 10-9 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Maryland took a 13-11 lead, its largest of the game with 7:49 to play and both teams went scoreless for nearly four minutes. Goldstock and Connor Kelly then scored twice in 31 seconds to knot the game up where it would stay until Cloutier’s game-winner.
Maryland held the ball for the final shot with 1:06 to go in regulation, but tight defense from the Heels, including a save by Brian Balkam with four seconds to go, gave North Carolina the chance to win in overtime. He finished with 13 saves.
A dominant showing from the Tar Heels made the long weekend feel longer for the Terrapins.
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